Guest recipe: Bernie Sanders’ homemade eggnog!

Bernie’s Eggnog!

It’s astonishing, given the demands of his campaign, that Bernie Sanders actually replied “yes” to my email inquiring if he’d like to share a holiday recipe with the people of the state of Maine – at least those who are “in the know” because they read the BDN – and just as astonishing that his recipe is a near duplicate of one I ran last year: the Perfect Eggnog. I’m grateful to the senator for offering his time and energy to grace this blog with his insight, wit, and wisdom about homemade eggnog.

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THIS ONE(photo from Bernie Sanders’ facebook page)

Sen. Bernie Sanders:

I’m glad to have the opportunity to share this old family recipe with the people of Maine, a great state only a couple of hours from my home state of Vermont.

Both Maine and Vermont are rural states with lots of cows and lots of chickens, and by making this eggnog you’ll be offering a helping hand to our dairy farmers and poultry farmers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. It serves a dozen people or more, so I encourage you to share this generously with folks from all walks of life. Be inclusive! Welcome people of different faiths and beliefs to savor this special holiday treat!

EricaLeaFlickrI liked this photo because it shows the richness of the eggnog. But the swirls? You don’t have to do swirls! Keep it plain and simple – I’m not into fancy swirls! (photo by Erica Lea, flickr)

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 12 locally laid eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar, or 1 cup Maple Syrup from Maine or Vermont
  • 3 pints heavy cream from local dairies, whipped
  • nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
  • 1 cup dark rum and 2 cups brandy (optional)

Here’s what to do:

  • First combine the egg yolks and the sugar (or syrup) in a mixing bowl, and mix until it thickens a little.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they’re almost stiff. Not too stiff, just right!
  • In a large punch bowl, combine the egg yolk mixture with the whipped cream. Fold in the whipped cream gently so that it’s evenly distributed throughout the mixture. You don’t want the cream rising to the top! It’s just not right that the very top one percent should get all the cream! Make sure the whipped cream is fairly and justly blended throughout the mixture!
  • Now do the same with the beaten egg whites: fold them in gently so that every part if the mixture is rich and fluffy! This is a large recipe – it’s big! – but it’s not too big to fail! If it’s too big to fail, it’s too big to exist!! Get the recipe right, make it rich and fluffy, and it won’t fail!
  • Here comes the optional part, with the liquor. I like the eggnog without liquor, but you’ll be serving people with different tastes, so make this a public option, depending on your guests. Gently pour in the liquor and just as gently mix it so it doesn’t rise to the very top! It will rise to the top unless you take action to keep it fairly distributed throughout. Liquor tends to do that, and it’s just not right that all the good stuff ends up at the top!
  • Now sprinkle on some nutmeg, and maybe a dash or two of cinnamon. And put the bowl in the fridge to chill for an hour or so. You do the same – go chill! Take a breather and stay calm! Then bring out the eggnog and serve it up!

On a personal note, you all know I’m no billionaire. I live a modest life. But I bought all the ingredients for the eggnog myself. I was the single payer for the ingredients! And I’ve done that consistently for fifty years or more. I don’t change what I do based on polls! Single payer just makes sense!

eggnog2IzikI like this one a little better. It’s not quite as fluffy as my eggnog, but it doesn’t have those pretentious frou-frou swirls! We don’t need swirls! (photo by Zik)

That’s it! Now you all have access to a quality holiday eggnog, which should be a right, not a privilege! Thanks for listening, and Happy Holidays to all!!

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Thanks to Senator Sanders for his inspiring recipe. Not sure about all my readers, but here at home we’re feeling the Bern!

Ned White

About Ned White

Ned White is a writer, novelist, crossword puzzle constructor, traveler through 49 states, and at times a danger in the kitchen. He lives with his wife in South Thomaston.